Jed more comfy singing with fellow belters

Jed Madela

When it comes to performing duets or group numbers, Jed Madela feels more at ease with fellow belters, like Angeline Quinto, whom he knows can hang with him in vocally demanding songs.

“Kampante ako that I don’t have to hold back, because I know her range,” said Jed, who will headline the pre-Valentine dinner-concert “Voices for Love” with Angeline on Feb. 12 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom. “Of course, there still has to be give and take. We have to give the spotlight to each other … mind our blending.”

Being with artists who sing in a different style or genre, he said, is a more challenging task.

“I’m a belter. And so, I have to adjust if I get paired with someone who’s not. You have to keep in mind not to be overpowering, without compromising the song. If you’re performing solo, you can do whatever you want. But when you’re in group numbers, dapat pantay.”

Meanwhile, another challenging aspect of being a professional singer that not many know about, Jed related, is memorizing songs, especially when one’s preparing for a number of shows at the same time.

“There are times when you have to study so many pieces, but you just have no time to memorize everything. In such cases, you really need the help of a teleprompter,” he related.

But the teleprompter, he reminded young singers, should only serve as a guide—not a crutch. “You still have to memorize your songs; watching a singer reading onstage can be unsightly. But if you must, you should learn how not to make it obvious, or act like you’re still singing to the viewer,” he pointed out. —ALLAN POLICARPIO